UGus wayeyigorila enkulu. Wayehlala kumyezo wezilwanyana kunye nenye igorila eyayibizwa ngokuba nguGabby. UGus kunye noGabby babenendlwana ababelala kunye kuyo nesitiya esihle ababedlala kuso.
Umgcini-myezo wezilwanyana wayebaphethe kakuhle kakhulu ooGus noGabby. Wayebanika ukutya okuninzi kakhulu – iikhaphetshu namathanga kunye neembotyi nombona, kwakunye nama-orenji amaninzi neepopo nama-apile kunye … neebhanana! UGus noGabby babezithanda iibhanana ngaphezulu kwako konke okunye ukutya!
“Ingaba ndingayifumana le yokugqibela ibhanana?” wayezibuzisa atsho uGabby yonke imihla emva kwesidlo sasemini. Kwaye ngenxa yokuba uGus wayeyigorila enobubele, wayesoloko emnika uGabby loo bhanana yokugqibela.
Ngenye imini, kufutshane nomyezo wezilwanyana lowo, uMnumzana van Vliet, owayexhwila iiplastiki zegrosari zabantu, waxhwila iplastiki ezele ukutya kukaGogo owayesendleleni eya erenkini yeeteksi.
“Ncedani! Ncedani! Heyi, buyisa igrosari yam!” wakhwaza watsho uGogo. Kodwa uMnumzana van Vliet zange amhoye, koko wabaleka wehla ngendlela.
UGogo wabaleka waya kwipolisa elalimi ekoneni yesitalato. “Ndincede torho!” ukhale ngelitsho. “Laa ndoda ixhwile iplastiki ezele yigrosari yam!
“Masimbambe!” latsho ipolisa, baze babekeka emva kukaMnumzana van Vliet bobabini.
UMnumzana van Vliet wababona besiza emva kwakhe, waza ke ngoko watsiba phezu kwesango elikhulu, waza wawela kwicala elinomyezo wezilwanyana.
“Jonga!” watsho ekhefuzela uGogo. “Eli sela libalekele kulo myezo wezilwanyana!”
“Masimbambe” latsho likhefuzela nalo ipolisa.
UMnumzana van Vliet wayengajonganga apho abalekela khona kuba wayejonge ngasemva kubantu abamleqayo. Watsiba udonga waza wawela kwityholo elinameva elisesitiyeni sikaGus noGabby.
“Owu shu!” watsho uMnumzana van Vliet.
Loo ngxolo yavusa uGus noGabby, ababesathe gqwaka kuba kusemva kwemini.
“Ndicinga ukuba kukho umntu osiphathela iibhanana!” watsho uGus.
“Bububele obukhulu ke obo!” watsho uGabby. “Masihambe siye kumkhawulela, simbulise.”
Ngoko ke bahamba baya kuhlangana noMnumzana van Vliet. UGus wayeyigorila enobubele nenesimilo kakhulu. Wathi xa ebona uMnumzana van Vliet, wema ngemilenze yakhe yangasemva, waza wabetha isifuba sakhe ngathi ligubu, embulisa.
Wathi xa uMnumzana van Vliet ebona uGus esenza oko, woyika kakhulu. Wathi nqaku iplastiki enegrosari waza wazama ukutsiba udonga kwakhona.
“Ndinike ezo bhanana!” watsho uGus. Kodwa uMnumzana van Vliet wayesele ephezu kodonga, ngoko ke uGus wamtsala ngomlenze waze wamluma iimpundwana ezi ukuze abuyele umva.
UMnumzana van Vliet wawela ngaphakathi kwakhona kwelo tyholo linameva. UGus wachola loo plastiki inegrosari waza wajonga ngaphakathi. UGus wazijula phantsi phaya zonke izinto ebezithengwe nguGogo. Waza ekugqibeleni, emazantsi eplastiki yegrosari wafumana isipha seebhanana ezityheli kukuvuthwa.
UGus wambambazela uMnumzana van Vliet ngobubele entloko. “Enkosi,” watsho. UMnumzana van Vliet zange atsho nelimdaka.
“Gabby,” watsho uGus, “le ndoda inesisa isiphathele isipha sebhanana ezimnandi!” UGabby weza edanisa kuGus. Bobabini bahlala phantsi ecaleni kukaMnumzana van Vliet baze bazitya zonke ezo bhanana.
UGogo nepolisa bayiva loo ngxolo. Bakroba ngaphaya kodonga, baze babona uMnumzana van Vliet ethe tywa kwityholo elinameva.
“Naliya eli sela!” watsho uGogo.
“Nika uGogo iplastiki yakhe yegrosari!” litshilo ipolisa.
“Kulungile,” watsho uMnumzana van Vliet esothukile. Wachola yonke igrosari kaGogo waza wayifaka kwakhona eplastikini yegrosari leyo. Emva koko wayinyusa ngodonga eyibuyisela kwakuGogo.
“Hamba-a-a!” watsho uGogo. Waza wahamba neplastiki yakhe yegrosari esiya kuthenga ezinye iibhanana ukuze abambe iteksi egodukayo.
UMnumzana van Vliet waqwanya wajonga ipolisa. “Ndiyathembisa andisoze ndiphinde ndibe iiplastiki zegrosari zabantu kwakhona!” watsho. “Kodwa nceda, ndikhuphe apha. Ndithathe undise kwisikhululo samapolisa.”
“Hayi ke ngoku, Gus,” latsho ipolisa. “Ubambe elona sela lidumileyo ngokuba iiplastiki zegrosari yabantu! Ngoko ke ndiyambamba uMnumzana van Vliet, ndimsa kwisikhululo samapolisa ngoku, kodwa ndiza kubuya ndize kukubona kwakusasa ngomso!”
Ngentsasa elandelayo ipolisa leza neNtloko yamaPolisa kunye neqela labadlali beentambula kunye nomfoti nentatheli kumyezo wezilwanyana. Babelandelwa ligquba labantu. Bonke umgcini-myezo wabakhokelela esitiyeni sikaGus noGabby.
“Wamkelekile kumkhosi wamapolisa, Gus,” yatsho iNtloko yamaPolisa. “Ngoku ulipolisa elipheleleyo!” Iqela labadlali beentambula badlala ingoma, umfoti wafota uGus, yaze intatheli yabhala ibali ngoGus kunye nesela elidumileyo leeplastiki zegrosari. Abantu baqhwaba izandla bevuyiswa koko. Emva koko iNtloko yamaPolisa yanikezela ngesipha esikhulu seebhanana ezityheli kuGus.
“Enkosi,” watsho uGus.” “Bekulula kakhulu ukubamba isela leeplastiki zegrosari.” Wayevuya kakhulu, watsho waphakama wema ngemilenze yakhe yangasemva waza wabetha isifuba sakhe. Bakubona oku, bonke abantu bangxama bekhawuleza kangangoko ukuphuma esitiyeni sikaGus noGabby.
UGus noGabby bahlala phantsi batya iibhanana. “Njengokuba ke ngoku ndilipolisa, ndiza kuba nomsebenzi omninzi ekufuneka ndiwenzile!” watsho uGus.
“Ewe, kunjalo,” watsho uGabby ngokuzingca. “Kweli lixa ke ibhanana yokugqibela yeyakho, Gus.”
“Enkosi kakhulu, Gabby.” watsho uGus esitya ibhanana yokugqibela.
Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!
Emva kokufunda ibali, cebisa ukuba abantwana bakho benze ezinye zezi zinto: yenzani isigqibo sokuba ingaba isela lafumana into elilungeleyo okanye ingaba kwakufuneka lihlawuliswe iibhanana zikaGogo kusini na; bhalani inqaku enicinga ukuba lapapashwa kwiphephandaba leli phephandaba ngalo ngobu bugorha; yenzani umdlalo weqonga osekelwe kweli bali.
